Chicken and vegetable pot pies please a variety of picky palates

After all the sweets, rich meals and over-indulgences of the past couple of weeks, I am ready for a little fasting.

But, as you probably know, that is difficult with kids, because they are always hungry.

We needed to get through some of the leftovers in the fridge from all of this Christmas eating. I had part of a cooked chicken and roasted vegetables, so I decided on pot pies after a long day of playing in the snow.

I made a quick sauce while Emma, 11, chopped the leftover meat and veggies. She added frozen peas and dried herbs then we combined that with the sauce.

Molly, 9, helped make dough, which is very easy, especially if you are OK with using hands rather than utensils for mixing.

Emma distributed the pot pie filling among six ramekins. Clay, 8, cut out six large circles of dough, large enough to hang over the edge of the ramekins to adhere the dough to the top of vessels.

After we painted the tops of the pot pies with a little egg wash, they went into the oven for about 20 minutes. We let them cool slightly after taking them out of the oven because they were extremely hot.

With a simple green salad, these pot pies make a perfect, comforting dinner. If you do not have leftovers like we did, use rotisserie chicken and saute some vegetables, because it is well worth the effort.

It is rare for all of my kids to like the same meal, but everyone finished off their pot pies, which pleased me immensely.

mpoitras@discoveryspeed.com. Margery Reed Poitras is a former professional chef who now cooks for her kids and occasionally for the more mature palate.

Chicken Pot Pies

Servings: Makes 6-8 individual pies

For filling:

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken

1 cup cooked, chopped carrots

½ cup frozen peas

2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1½ to 2 cups chicken broth

For pastry:

1½ cups flour

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces

3-4 tablespoons cold water

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon cream

Method:

In a medium pot, melt butter. Add flour and whisk over medium heat for about 5 minutes. It will sizzle and lightly brown.

Add 1½ cups chicken broth, whisking until thick. If it is too thick, add a little more broth.

Add the chicken, carrots, peas and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Fill ramekins with the mixture. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F. In a bowl, combine flour and salt then use your fingers, two knives or a pastry cutter to cut in the butter until it looks like little peas.

Add 3 tablespoons of water and quickly mix, adding a little more water, if needed, to make the dough come together.

Roll out to ¼ inch thick. Cut out circles large enough to hang over the edge of the ramekins by a little bit.

Pinch the dough onto the ramekin. Combine the egg yolk and cream then brush the top with this egg wash.

Place ramekins on sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving.